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Morning Workshops: 10:45 - 12:15
1. The A, B, C's of Transition from School to Adult Life
Transition from school to community is a process, not a single
event.
This session will outline some strategies, timelines and techniques,
which
will ensure that transition is a long-term, collaborative process,
including
the student and family, school personnel, and adult service providers.
Presenters:
Bryan Dague, UVM Center on Disability
& Community
Inclusion
Dianne Chandler, Employment
Associates-Middlebury
Marian Connor, Mt. Abraham Union High
School
2. Creating Infant & Toddler Environments that Inspire
Creatively constructed environments can facilitate a child’s learning
and development. Learn about and explore ways of choosing materials and
creating home and childcare settings that inspire wonder and provoke
young
children’s interests. This interactive workshop will invite
participants
to share stories about their own settings and discover ways of
enhancing
their environments for the benefit of all children.
Presenters:
Kristin McAvoy & Heather Radtke Child
Development
Specialists, UVM’s Campus Children’s Center
Michelle Lewis, Developmental Educator -
Family,
Infant and Toddler Program
Parent Representative
3. Movement, The Language of Children
This session will focus on the basic concepts, methods, applications
and benefits of movement in working with children and youth with and
without
disabilities. Explore awareness of our own nonverbal
communication
styles, their effects in interactional dynamics with others, and
experience
first-hand the benefits of and stress reduction from expression through
movement. Be prepared to move!
Presenter:
Will Freeman, Ph.D., ADTR, University of
Vermont
General Session - “We’re Special Too!”
Cindy Hayman and Monica Hutt will moderate
a
panel of brothers and sisters who will discuss life with siblings who
have
special needs. Panelists will share the challenges and gifts of their
personal
experiences, including the daily routines, transitions, the unexpected,
and celebrations. They will also discuss particular steps they have
taken
to pay attention to their own well-being.
Cindy Hayman, MSW,
Social
Worker at Children with Special Health Needs and facilitator of local
SibShops
Monica Hutt,
Director for
Children and Family Programs at Howard Community Services, Facilitator
of local SibShops
Special performance by Kids
on the Block Vermont
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Afternoon Workshops: 2:45 - 4:15
4. Sensory Integration: Fact or Fiction?
Sensory Integration is a frequently recommended therapy for children
with a variety of disabilities and needs. Carol Andrew will
provide
a common sense approach to incorporate strategies for Sensory
Integration
at home and in programs. The theory of Sensory Integration will
be
discussed in detail and then applied to choices of toys and
environments
for learning for parents, teachers, and other professionals working
with
children with special needs.
Presenter:
Carol Andrew, EdD, OTR, Child Development
Program,
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
5. Demystifying Children’s Mental Health
Your child’s angry outbursts come unexpectedly. Your teenager is having
suicidal thoughts. Your pre-school son is asked to leave day
care.
Parents often feel isolated, confused, frustrated: Where do you go with
your concerns? What is a psychological evaluation? What happens after a
diagnosis? What is the current thinking about medications and
treatments?
Join a panel of mental health professionals for a dynamic discussion
about
these questions and other concerns related to children’s mental health.
Facilitator:
Peggy Sax, Ph.D., Family Therapist and
Consultant,
Middlebury, VT
Sarah Chamberlain, Director of Family
Education,
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
Jeanne Greenblatt, MD, MPH, Consulting
Child and
Adolescent Psychiatrist
Gail Rafferty, LICSW, Early Childhood
Program
Coordinator at Baird Center for Children and Families, Burlington
Dan Silverman, Psy.D., Licensed
Psychologist-Doctorate,
Independent Practice in Burlington area
6. Advocacy – Paving the Road to Acceptance
When children are being picked on in school or in the neighborhood,
on the playground or the school bus, the road can be very rocky
indeed.
This workshop will examine the role of parents in modeling or “setting
the attitude” for teachers, other parents and their child’s peers.
Participants
will use some basic mediation techniques to improve their
communication
and develop a range of creative strategies to bring to the table when
dealing
with difficult situations.
Bev Heise, Parent/Educator, Consultant
with the
Department of Education, supporting schools in developing Educational
Support
Systems and Educational Support Teams.
Coby Heise Coby has lived most of his life with
several
disabilities, including Diabetes, Tourette Syndrome, Obsessive
Compulsive
Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Scleroderma. He has had
many experiences in which his disabilities were an obstacle to
overcome,
including being a high school and college student-athlete. Coby
is
currently the owner and chief web developer for Creation By Design, a
web
design outfit in South Burlington.
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Format:This
event brings together a community of families, health care
professionals,
social services professionals, educators, childcare providers, and
policy
makers from around the state for a collaborative day of learning,
sharing,
and celebration. The day-long conference includes interactive morning
and
afternoon workshops, which address different topics for professionals
and
families with children with special needs ages birth to three, school
age,
and including young adults making the transition into adulthood.
The conference also includes exhibits by for-profit and non-profit
organizations,
the Partners in Care Award, and lunch.
